Quique Aviles

Originally from El Salvador, Quique has been writing, performing, and leading community arts projects for close to 35 years. After graduating from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in 1985, he co-founded the LatiNegro Theater Collective, which brought its socially-conscious theatre to schools, jails, and community centers. In 1999, he co-founded Sol & Soul, an arts and activist organization. His poetry and commentary have been featured on NPR, local public radio, and in several anthologies, including How I Learned English and Al Pie de la Casa Blanca. In 2004, Quique published his first book of poetry, The Immigrant Museum, an artbook designed by Raices de Papel and printed in Mexico City. He has written and performed 11 one-man shows dealing with issues of race and identity, including Latinhood, Chaos Standing, Caminata, The Children of Latinia, and Los Treinta, which celebrates the 30+-year presence of Salvadorans in the nation’s capital. He has brought this work to theaters, universities, and community centers around the U.S. and in Havana, Mexico City, and San Salvador. In addition to his solo work, Quique was a founder and is the current director of Paso Nuevo, GALA Hispanic Theatre’s award-winning youth theater program.